Over time, the interior of a water tank will have accumulated sediment. Even after draining, a water tank will still have some water and sediment in it.
Water tanks eventually leak. A leaking water tank needs to be removed from inside a dwelling. While moving a leaking tank, some of the remaining water and sediment can drip out, especially if the tank is tilted. This water and sediment may stain floor coverings, such as carpets.
Water tanks are heavy, so consideration should be given to avoid physical injury while moving them. The assistance of another person is recommended.
The components of a water tank are fragile and susceptible to damage from vibration while in motion. When a water tank is placed in a horizontal position, the interior glass lining, anodes and dip tubes can be stressed and break while the outside plumbing and casing can be crushed or dented. Manufacturers recommend keeping a new water tank in an upright position during transport.
You can use an appliance dolly to move a water tank but need to cushion it to lessen the transfer of vibrations and bumps. The wheels of the appliance dolly risk marking or scratching floors. The appliance dolly works fairly well for moving a water tank along a smooth floor, but is less practical over rough surfaces or over stairs, especially stairs that have sharp turns.
Prior art of movers straps, such as CA 2568418 are not designed to hold a cylinder, such as a water tank, in an upright position nor contain leaks from a leaking water tank.
Prior art of a lifting harness FR 3014090 does not allow for adjusting the lifting straps nor is it designed to contain leaks both during transport and while at rest. The same can be said for loading slings U.S. Pat. No. 2,440,712 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,365,511.
Prior art of collector/drain pans for hot water tanks such as CA 2110466 and CA 2187824 are not designed for transporting a water tank nor do they have flexible sides to allow for the water tank to be rolled onto them.
The improved apparatus of the present invention comprises a pair of independently adjustable lifting harnesses forming a cross pattern on top of which a flexible waterproof drain pan is affixed. The flexible drain pan allows for a water tank to be rolled onto it. The combination of the crossed harnesses and the flexible drain pan forms a cradle that holds the water tank in an upright position for transport by two persons while the flexible waterproof drain pan contains water dripping from a leaking water tank. The independently adjustable lifting harnesses make it possible to maintain the water tank upright during transport, even in stairs.